Ornamental sweetpotato plant named &#39;NCORNSP-019SCSHLM&#39;

ABSTRACT

‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ is a moderately-compact to compact, non-twining, upright variety producing many short shoots. It is distinguishable from other cultivars by its yellow green heart shaped leaves that are entire with a cordate base; a compact habit and semi-erect mounding plant architecture. The lime green leaves of this plant, short internodes, and the plant architecture are what makes ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ unique amongst the current ornamental sweetpotatoes in the marketplace. ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ also exhibits very good vigor and is very well branched. In greenhouse and field trials, ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ has been shown to be much less vigorous than  Ipomoea batatas  ‘Margarita’ and ‘Blackie’ and is suitable for use as a landscape or containerized plant. The production of flowers by ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ is sporadic under short day conditions.

RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION

This application claims priority to Canadian Plant Breeders Rights Application No. 15-8652, filed Apr. 24, 2015; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

The Latin name of the novel plant variety disclosed herein is Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

The inventive variety of Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. disclosed herein has been given the varietal denomination ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM.’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ipomoea batatas is a member of the morning glory family Convolvulacea. This species is grown worldwide and it exhibits a wide range of plant forms and colors. The cultivated members of Ipomoea batatas grown by farmers worldwide are commonly produced for consumption of their nutritious, enlarged storage roots. These types typically produce a fast growing green vine that has a wide variety of leaf shapes ranging from palmate and deeply lobed, to cordate or triangular shaped leaves with no lobes.

Like their edible forms, Ipomoea batatas ornamental sweetpotato plants are a heat-loving, drought-tolerant, perennial vine typically grown as an annual. However, ornamental sweetpotato plants are distinguished from the edible cultivated forms in that they possess unique foliage colors, leaf shapes, and growth habits, which have significant value in the ornamental marketplace.

Ornamental sweetpotatoes are desirable in the landscape and ornamental industries because their foliage comes in a wide variety of colors (e.g. pale yellow to dark purple with some exhibiting temporal and individual leaf color variegation patterns) and plant shapes (e.g. mounded and very compact to prostrate and highly spreading). They can be grown in a potted plant and/or mixed planting format, and they have the ability to cover a large space or hang over walls and decorative pots creating brightly colored and textured backdrops in gardens and patios. Most ornamental sweetpotatoes grow and last the entire growing season and they require little maintenance. Moreover, these plants have few insect or disease problems.

To meet the growing horticultural demand for ornamental sweetpotatoes, it is desirable to produce new cultivars of ornamental sweetpotato with new or improved foliage colors, variegation patterns, leaf shapes, and plant architectures. In addition, it would be advantageous to develop cultivars of ornamental sweetpotato exhibiting a more compact growth that do not out-compete other species in mixed containers.

‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ was bred to meet the increasing demand for new ornamental sweetpotatoes and this plant patent application describes this new and distinct invention. ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ is a moderately-compact to compact, non-twining, upright variety producing many short shoots. It is distinguishable from other cultivars by its yellow green heart shaped leaves that are entire with a cordate base, a compact habit and semi-erect mounding plant architecture. The lime green leaves of this plant, short internodes, and the plant architecture are what makes ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ unique amongst the current ornamental sweetpotatoes in the marketplace. ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ also exhibits very good vigor and is very well branched. In greenhouse and field trials conducted since 2010 by the breeding program and industry collaborators ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ has been shown to be much less vigorous than Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita’ and ‘Blackie’ and is suitable for use as a landscape or containerized plant. The production of flowers by ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ is sporadic under short day conditions.

Lineage. ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ (breeding designation NC7051-040ORN) originated from a conventional cross between the proprietary Ipomoea batatas breeding lines NC5973-009ORN (female parent; not patented) and NC6749-006ORN (male parent; not patented). Botanical seed was harvested from this and other ornamental sweetpotato lines planted in our winter greenhouse-crossing block between September of 2009 and March of 2010 in Raleigh, N.C. NC5973-009ORN resulted from a conventional cross between the proprietary Ipomoea batatas breeding lines ‘NC2749-013ORN’ (female parent; not patented) and NC4508-003ORN (male parent; not patented). NC6749-006ORN resulted from a conventional cross between the proprietary Ipomoea batatas breeding lines NC4748-001ONR (female parent; not patented) and ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red’ (male parent; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,013, Jul. 15, 2008) Botanical seed from this family were planted in the greenhouses in Spring 2010. The first cycle of selection on the population was exercised in the seedling trays and survivors were transferred to a single 6-inch pot, which was then maintained in the greenhouse. Cuttings (2 each) were taken from the plants in May 2010 and planted in the field as 2-plant unreplicated plots during mid June 2010. The single, individual plant now known as ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ was selected Aug. 11, 2010 because of its combination of exceptional features, and has been propagated asexually in Raleigh, N.C. since that time.

Asexual Reproduction. Since its selection, Ipomoea batatas ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ has been asexually reproduced in North Carolina predominantly by vegetative propagation of vine cuttings. Successively, there have been five cycles of vegetative propagation, one cycle of tissue culture micropropagation, and multiple vegetative propagation cycles to increase the plant population. Asexual reproduction of ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ by cuttings has shown that the unique features of the new cultivar are stable and the plant reproduces true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ is a moderately-compact to compact, non-twining, upright variety producing many short shoots. It is distinguishable from other cultivars by its yellow green heart shaped leaves that are entire with a cordate base, a compact habit and semi-erect mounding plant architecture. The lime green leaves of this plant, short internodes, and the plant architecture are what makes ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ unique amongst the current ornamental sweetpotatoes in the marketplace. ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ also exhibits very good vigor and is very well branched. In greenhouse and field trials conducted since 2010 by the breeding program and industry collaborators, ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ has been shown to be much less vigorous than Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita’ and ‘Blackie’ and is suitable for use as a landscape or containerized plant. The production of flowers by ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ is sporadic under short day conditions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The photographs in the drawings were made using conventional techniques and show the colors as true as reasonably possible by conventional photography. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Ipomoea batatassis. The photographs for FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 were taken in Raleigh, N.C. on Oct. 14, 2014. The photograph for FIG. 2 was taken in Clinton, N.C. on Jul. 14, 2014.

FIG. 1 is a color photograph of a typical specimen of greenhouse grown Ipomoea batatas ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ in a 6-inch pot from the side and top, 53 days after planting.

FIG. 2 is a color photograph of a typical specimen of Ipomoea batatas ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ from side and top in the field, 65 days after planting.

FIG. 3 is a color photograph showing the variety of leaves produced by Ipomoea batatas ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ and the lower surface of the leaf (bottom row), 53 days after planting.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the botanical characteristics of a new and distinct cultivar of Ipomoea batatas plant known by the cultivar name Ipomoea batatas ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’. All colors cited herein refer to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart designations (The Royal Horticultural Society, London, 2007, 5^(th) ed. except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plant descriptions are based on the standardized international sweetpotato descriptors established jointly by the International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru; The Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC), Taipei, Taiwan; and the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR), Rome, Italy (CIP, AVRDC, IBPGR. 1991. Descriptors for Sweet Potato. Huaman, Z., editor. International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, Rome, Italy, 134pp.). Where dimensions, sizes, colors, and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics are approximations or averages set forth as accurately as practicable.

The descriptions reported herein are from 53-day-old specimens grown individually in six-inch azalea pots (FIG. 1). The plants were grown in Raleigh, N.C., under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse, where, during the fall, day and night temperatures range between 25-40° C. and 22-26° C., respectively. After rooting, plants were treated with 200 ppm 20-10-20 fertilizer daily. Plant histories were taken during the second week of October 2014 in Raleigh, N.C. ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions; therefore, the phenotype may vary with variations in the environment such as season, temperature, light intensity, day length, cultural conditions, and the like.

-   Botanical classification:     -   -   Botanical name.—Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.         -   Common name.—Ornamental Sweetpotato.         -   Variety name.—‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’.         -   Growth conditions.—Ipomoea batatas ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ has             very good vigor, a moderate growth rate, and is very             adaptable to container culture. In locales with mild winter             conditions, Ipomoea batatas ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ will grow             perennially; otherwise it is an annual plant. Similar to             cultivated sweetpotatoes, wind or rain rarely causes much             damage to ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’, but if damage does occur, the             plant drops the damaged leaves and grows new shoots at nodes             where the leaves were lost. Under low light levels in a             greenhouse, ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ can develop intumescence,             which will remain on the affected foliage, but will be             outgrown with new foliage. -   Branches:     -   -   Branching habitat.—Freely-branching with about 4-5 primary             lateral branches coming off the stem. Very dense foliage and             no pinching is required to stimulate branching. Branch             texture is glabrous.         -   Vegetative lateral branching.—Length: about 22.1 cm.             Diameter: about 0.5 cm. Internodes are very short with an             average length of about 0.7 cm.         -   Secondary lateral shoots.—The number of secondary lateral             shoots varies, but averages about 4 with several short             additional shoots. Length: about 11 cm. Diameter: about 0.4             cm.         -   Stem.—Round and smooth with an upward, outward and slightly             undulating aspect and very strong, slightly flexible             strength. Color: Yellow Green (RHS 145A-144D).         -   Adventitious roots.—Present at nodes. Color: Yellow Green             (RHS 145A-144D) with Brown (RHS 199A).         -   Petiole.—Petioles are held upward and splay the leaf             slightly vertical. Leaf petiole has a smooth texture with a             matte finish. Length: about 8.2 cm. Diameter: about 0.3 cm.             Color: Yellow Green (RHS 145A-144B) with Brown (RHS             200B-200C) on young leaves at apical meristem. -   Foliage: Leaves are alternate and tend to slightly spiral around the     stem. They are simple and cordate to slightly deltoid with an entire     margin. Leaves have no lobing. Leaf shape is somewhat variable as is     size (see FIG. 2). Leaf texture is smooth with a matte finish on     both the upper and lower surface.     -   -   Quantity.—Moderately-heavily foliated, with about 16 leaves             per lateral branch.         -   Mature leaf length.—about 9.3 cm.         -   Mature leaf width.—about 7.1 cm.         -   Leaf margin.—Entire.         -   Leaf apex.—Acute.         -   Leaf base.—Cordate to slightly Deltoid.         -   Leaf texture.—Glabrous texture and matte finish.         -   Venation.—Cross-venulate. Texture: glabrous.         -   Color.—Leaves are yellow green and range within that palate             as they mature. See Table 1.

TABLE 1 Leaf description Leaf Structure Upper Surface Lower Surface Young Leaf Yellow Green Greyed Yellow Green (RHS 144A-B) (RHS 147D) Mature Leaf Yellow Green (RHS Yellow Green (RHS N144A-144B-C) 145A-144B-C) Vein-mature leaf Yellow Green Yellow Green to Greyed (RHS 144A-B) Yellow Green (RHS 144C- 147D) Vein-young leaf Yellow Green Green (RHS 145A-144B- (RHS 144A-B) C) with Brown at petiole junction (RHS 200B-C)

-   Inflorescence: Ipomoea batatas ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ flowers     sporadically throughout the season in response to a variety of     stressful conditions (e.g., drought, nutrient stress, cloudy     weather). Shorter day length enhances flowering, but the precise     photoperiod for flower induction is currently unknown. Solitary,     regular funnel-form flowers arising from leaf axils on secondary     lateral branches are formed. Peduncles are yellow green (RHS     145A-144B-C) with a smooth texture. Peduncle length: about 1.7 cm,     peduncle width: about 0.3 cm. Flower buds are pale green-yellow     fading to purple at the tip and lanceolate to elliptic (RHS 144C-D     fading to 27B, 76B at tip). Flower bud length: about 1.5 cm, flower     bud width: about 0.5 cm.     -   -   Corolla width.—about 4.2 cm, corolla length: about 3.4 cm.             Limb color: Cream to light lavender (RHS 69D-76D) on both             inner and outer surface. The inner throat color gets lighter             from base to limb going from purple (RHS N80N-N81A) at the             base to lavender (76A) near the limb. The limb is pentagonal             with slight fragrance. The two outer sepals are shorter than             the inner sepals. Average sepal length: 0.8 cm, average             sepal width: 0.4 cm. The sepals are obovate with an obtuse             to caudate apex and light green to green (RHS 145C-D with             145A) in color. Sepal texture is glabrous on both the upper             and lower surface. A single pistil consists of one style and             one stigma about 2.1 cm in length. Stigma and style are both             cream (RHS 155A-B). The stigma is exerted relative to the             stamens. The flower averages five cream-light lavender             stamens. Each stamen consists of a single cream-light             lavender filament averaging 1.4 cm in length topped with a             single cream-white anther averaging 0.3 cm in length.             Filament color: cream-light lavender (RHS N155A-B, 76B).         -   Anther color.—cream (RHS 158D, 155A-B).         -   Pollen color.—cream (RHS 158D, 155A-B). Pollen is sparse. To             date, fruit has not been observed under normal greenhouse             conditions. -   Storage root coloration: Ipomoea batatas ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ plants     form no, to very small, underground storage roots that are     occasionally malformed and do not meet USDA Sweetpotato Storage Root     Grade Standards. Fibrous roots typically posses cream (RHS 155D)     with pink (RHS186B-C). Storage roots that are formed possess red     purple skin (RHS71A, N77B) with yellow-white striations (RHS     158C-D). Flesh color is greyed orange-yellow (RHS 163D, 162B-C) with     hints of purple-greyed purple (RHS N77B, 186A-B). -   Comparison with other ipomoea batatas cultivars: ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’     is very distinct based on leaf shape and plant architecture. Of the     common cultivars of ornamental sweetpotato, ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ is     best compared with the ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Light Green’ (U.S.     Plant Pat. No. 18,572) and ‘IPOSGLGRE’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,279)     cultivars (Table 2). Like ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Light Green’     and ‘Sweet Georgia Heart Light Green’, ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ has     yellow green leaves. However, the leaves of ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ are     entire with a cordate-deltoid base compared to those of ‘Sweet     Caroline Sweetheart Light Green’, which are entire with a cordate     base, and those of ‘Sweet Georgia Heart Light Green’, which have a     cordate base, a slightly savoy texture, and slight, occasional     toothing and lobing. ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ has a moderately-compact to     compact, upright, non-twining plant habit compared with the twining     to slightly trailing plant habit of ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Light     Green’. Furthermore, ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ has a smaller average leaf     size compared with the larger leaves of ‘IPOSGLGRE’ and shorter     primary lateral branches than both ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Light     Green’ and ‘IPOSGLGRE’. Unlike ‘Sweet Carolina Sweetheart Light     Green’, which has thin, twining vines, ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ has     thicker, stronger stems.

TABLE 2 Comparison of ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ with other Ipomoea batatas Cultivars ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Light ‘IPOSGLGRE’ ‘NCORNSP- Green; (U.S. Plant Pat. Characteristic 019SCSHLM’ (USPP18,572) No. PP22,279) Plant Habit Moderately Twining, Moderately Compact- Slightly Compact Compact, Trailing Upright and Non-Twining Average Leaf Length: Length: Length: Length and 9.3 cm 8.7 cm 11.5 cm Width Width: Width: Width: 7.1 cm 7.8 cm 9.7 cm Average Length: Length: Length: Primary 22.1 cm 48.7 cm 48.7 cm Lateral Diameter: Diameter: Diameter: Branch 0.5 cm 0.2 cm 0.5 cm Length and Diameter Leaf Shape Entire. Cordate Entire. Cordate Occasional toothing- with cordate- with cordat base lobing. Slight savoy deltoid base texture. Cordate with cordate base

-   Disease or pest resistance: ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ is susceptible to     whiteflies and thrips in a greenhouse environment.     ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’ is susceptible to Sweetpotato Feathery Mottle     Virus and damage by Japanese beetles in a field environment. It's     resistance or susceptibility to other known insects and pathogens of     sweetpotato is unknown. Under low light conditions, slight edema may     occur. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ipomoea batatas plant named ‘NCORNSP-019SCSHLM’, substantially as illustrated and described herein. 